hi all,
I am trying to figure out what I’d like to major in and even though I’m able to switch I just wanted to seek some advice. I am a rising senior and I wanted to see if you guys thought biochem would be a good idea as a major. I do enjoy both biology and chemistry so I presume this would be a good fit.
I’ve taken every math level and am in Calculus AB for this upcoming year. I have taken earth science, biology, chemistry, AP chemistry, and am taking AP biology this upcoming year. I haven’t taken physics and do not plan on it in high school for I did not have enough room for it. Do you guys think I would have had to take physics already to see if this is truly fit for me. If need-be, I can try to take physics at my local community college during a winter session or something.
I’m an all honors/AP student with straight A’s and am dedicated to my work. I also would like to have some social time in college (not like everyday but freer weekends, etc.) so is a biochem major extremely demanding as well? I can manage my time but I’d also like to breathe and do well. thanks everyone for your help in advance!
Biochem is an interesting field. I would recommend maybe getting a taste of physics, as bio engineer or chemical engineer gives you more options w/ better pay after graduation, but in the end it matters what you want to do- if engineering isn’t for you then you can still,ive very well off as biochem
Biochem is a great major to start with. Some schools offer sub specialties within the department that may be an even better “fit”- which you will know after you have a couple of years under your belt.
If you’re reasonably sure you want to be in the pure sciences (i.e. bio, chem, biochem, physics, etc.), it isn’t really that important to be sure about which one before you get to college. (There are also the ones you’re less likely to think about in high school, like geology, that can turn out to be great majors.) You’ll have to start out with a foundation in all of the basic sciences, and by the time you’re done with that you’ll be more sure of your direction. I don’t think one science major is inherently more demanding than another, but it can depend on your research involvement and of course it will vary by school.
If you think you might want an engineering program (which could include bioengineering, chemical engineering, materials science, nanoscience, engineering physics, petroleum engineering…) then you’ll have to make sure to keep that option open and perhaps apply to engineering programs, as it’s much easier at most schools to move from engineering to science than the other way around. Also if you want engineering, getting physics under your belt before you get there is somewhat more important, though you can manage without it at most schools if you have to.
Also, what kind of applications interest you? Would an environmentally-oriented school like SUNY ESF, which has biochem and bioprocess engineering majors, appeal to you? (It shares facilities and cross-registration with Syracuse University.) How about a school like Colorado School of Mines where petroleum engineering and the related geophysics and geological engineering programs are prominent? Do you like the Chemical Biology program at Stevens? https://www.stevens.edu/schaefer-school-engineering-science/departments/chemistry-chemical-biology/undergraduate-programs/chemical-biology
For the most part, picking a good list of schools that will keep the right options open for you and have the environment you want is far more important than being sure about your major… unless you want to make a bigger commitment like a six-year pharmacy program http://catalog.northeastern.edu/undergraduate/health-sciences/pharmacy/pharmacy-pharmd/ or a specialized engineering track.
@collintaylor i dont think i would like to go into engineering but definitely into science… i’m thinking maybe PA or pharmacy but nothing dead set… thank you for your help!
@aquapt thank you, that was a lot of helpful information! i dont think engineering is the route i would like to take but i think i’m leaning towards pharm or PA. do you think biochem would still be ideal?
I think you’re overthinking the choice of a specific science major. Sure, start out with biochem as a default - there will be mobility among science majors at most schools.
The more pressing question is whether you want to apply to any 6-year or guaranteed-admit pharmacy programs
If you look at pre-pharmacy curricula, your lower-division classes are essentially the same as what a biochem major takes, so there would be nothing stopping you from deciding that pharmacy wasn’t for you and just going for the biochem degree. But a PharmD admissions guarantee might not be a bad option to nail down if you’re seriously considering that path.
And many pre-PA programs let you choose your undergrad major - a lot of people will do bio or a “pre-health” major specifically tailored to meeting the prereqs as efficiently as possible, but for the most part if you want the biochem depth you can have it.
So the question right now is, do you want to include some of these programs in your list of applications, so that an accelerated and/or guaranteed-admit program is hopefully “on the menu” next spring when you’re deciding where to go?